Elevator signal system.



J. D. BOWNB.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1903 Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Johnl liowne 337K] his :1 HU'ZHC'I:

J. D. BOWNB.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION'IILED JULY 25, 1903 1,1 32,552. Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. D. BOWNB. ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25 1903 1,1 32,552. Patented Mar. 23, 1915. 4 SHEET$SKEET 3.

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wmwm ww mu IV J. D. BOWNB. ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1903 1 132,552. Patented Mar. 23, 1915. 4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

wi bueooeo jwvewtoz MM 2. 9 1441., Jalm fl.Bowne 'the controlling elements are so JOHN D. BOWNE, OF NEW YORK, N.

Y., ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

ELEVATOR SUPPLY AND REPAIR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed July 25, 1903. Serial No. 166,952.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatv I, JOHN D. Bownn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in elevator signal systems, and its main object is to provide an effective signal system of this class in which the controlling parts are so located, and cooperate with one another in such a manner, that they are not as liable to get out of order as the corresponding ele ments of systems heretofore used.

One of the principal features of my invention is the location of the principal controlling devices at a fixed point with respect to the elevator shaft or shafts, at which point assembled that they can be readily got at for inspection, adjustment and repair. Because of their location in such position the use of the ordinary sliding controlling elements or contacts is dispensed with, the general organization of the system simplified, and substantially all of the movable parts governing the operation of the system and on which the proper working of the system depends, are grouped at a point where all the parts are easily accessible.

Another important feature which distinguishes my improved elevator signal system from others with which I am familiar is the employment of positively acting mechanical controlling devices for operating electrical circuit controllers which govern the signal circuits. These mechanical devices are preferably operated by elements governed directly by the movements of the elevators, and the principal controlling member will usually have a to-and-fro movement in a given path, such movement corresponding to the up and down movement of the elevator by which it is governed. Separate controlling members are preferably employed for governing the operation of up and down floor-signal-controllers each of which will be mechanically set and reset to make and break the circuit to its signal at the proper points in the movements of the corresponding elevator. Where more than one elevator is employed, as is usually the case, several controlling members or pairs of controlling elements, may be employed with a plurality of circuit or floor-signal-controllers or pairs of floor-signal-controllers in order that the up or down signal, as the case may be,

may be glven to that one of the series of elevators which is nearest the desired floor and is moving in the proper direction.

Other features of my invention not hereinbefore referred to will be hereinafter described and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an elevator and its shaft and operating means, together with a cooperative signal apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, with some of the parts removed for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan of a portion of the signal controlling apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of one element of the signal system, and also illustrates diagrammatically the calling and signal circuits. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail illustrating the main controlling member of the mechanism and its operating means. Fig. 6 is a detail of a resetting device. Figs. 7 and 8 are details illustrating in plan a modification of the invention. Fig. 9 is an edge View of said modification. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are details illustrating in perspective various parts of such modified construction. Fig. 13 is a detail of a portion of the main mechanism.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that I have illustrated an elevator movable in a shaft which intersects three floors, designated respectively by 1, 2 and 3. The fourth floor, designated by 4, carries the means for supporting the elevator 5, and as shown herein embodies the usual sheave 6, on which the supporting cable 7 is wound up or from which it is unwound, this sheave serving to operate through suitable transmitting means, the main controlling member corresponding to its elevator. The transmitting means illustrated herein consists of a pinion 8 on the axis 10 of the sheave 6, this pinion being movable in unison with said sheave, and a spur gear 9 in mesh with said pinion and mounted in this case for rotation at one end of a bracket 11, which may be secured to the pillow-block 12 by which the shaft 10 is supported. This pinion is normally held in place by the spring 8, the tension of which is adjustable by a nut 8". A small band-wheel 13, mounted on the same axis as the gear 9 and movable in unison therewith, may transmit the up or down movement of the elevator to the main controlling member of the signal system through a band or belt 14, which in this case passes over guide pulleys such as 15 and 16 and operates a driven pulley, such as 18, which in turn is fastened to one end of the driven shaft 19 by which movement is transmitted directly to the controlling member. In Fig. 1 three of these driven pulleys 18, 18 and 18" are illustrated, and they govern the movements of three separate controlling members, one for each of the three elevators which are assumed to make up the system shown. These driven pulleys 18, 18 and 18" with their driven shafts, such as 19, etc., are located at a fixed point with respect to the elevator shafts, in this case on the lio0r4 above all of the elevator shafts, and the pulleys 18, 18 and 18" are preferably rotatable in different vertical planes so that the bands or pulleys 14, etc., (it being understood that a separate band is used for each elevator and its driven pulley 18, etc.,) will not interfere with one another. Any suitable upright, such as that shown at 20, may support the driven pulleys 18, etc., this upright having secured thereto a plurality of bracket-arms 21, each of which has a pair of bearings such as 22 and 23, in which is journaled the shaft 19 hereinbefore referred to. Immediately in advance of the bearing 23 the-shaft 19 has a bevel gear 25 which in this case meshes with a similar bevel-gear 26 secured to a short shaft 27 journaled in the bearing 28 at the inner end of a lateral extension 21 of the main bracket 21. This gear 26 and its short shaft 27 constitute in the present construction means for directly operating the principal mechanical controlling member governed by a corresponding elevator, and this controllin member is here shown as a rotary arm 30 ieyed to the shaft 27 and held in place by a check-nut 31. At its free end, as it swings in a circle in one direction or the other as the corresponding elevator is moved up or down, the arm 30 has one or more members or elements for mechanically operating one or more floor-signal-controllers or pairs of floor-signal-controllers. Preferably the arm 30 has two such controlling elements, designated herein by 35 and 36, the former of which is operative on the upward movement of the elevator and the latter on the downward movement. Each of these controlling elements is preferably in the form of a bypass device, the two parts being so mounted as to have by-pass movements in opposite directions. .The two bypass elements, 35 and 36, are pivoted at the outer end of the arm 30 and normally move in unison therewith and are held in their normal ositions by springs, such as 37 and 38, whic press the elements 35 and36 into engagement with stops, one of which is shown at 35" as a stop-pin.

The arm 30 with its two controlling elements 35 and 36 for governing the up and down signals respectively, travels in such a path as to coiiperate with a pair of intermediaries, such as tappets 40 and 41, secured to spindles 42 and 43 mounted for oscillationin any suitable manner. These spindles are preferably supported at'their ends by needle bearings such as 44, one of which rises from a base-plate 45, while'the other may be carried by a bracket 46 (see Fig. 1) fastened to the upper end of a vertical post 47 fastened at its lower end to the plate 45. The upper bearings for both of the spindles 42 and 43 are carried by this bracket 46. Stops, such as 48, in position to engage arms, such as 49, fastened to the spindles 42 and 43, maydetermine the normal positions of said spindles, such as 50 may hold these parts mal positions and return them being operated.

The arm 49 in addition to constituting a stop for limiting the return movement of the spindle 42 about its axis (see Fig. 4) also cotiperates at its inner end with one element of a circuit-controller or floor-signalcontroller and serves to reset the same after such floor-signaLcontroller has been released or set by the usual push-button-or other device operated from the floor to which such controller corresponds, a suitable stop 66' being shown in Fig. 4 for limiting the return movement of the floor-signal controller. In this construction I have illustrated a well-known drop device for releasing or setting the floor-signal-controller, two of such drop devices being employed in connection with the two spindles 42 and 43 and their associated parts, although as one of these devices is directly behind the other in Fig. 4 only one of these shows. The electromagnet 51 of one of these drop devices is in circuit in this case with a push-button 52, while the electromagnet of the other is controlled by the second push-button 53, these two push-buttons and ma lets controlling the up and down oor signal controllers, the circuit-making element of one of which is shown at 54 while the corresponding element of the other controller is indicated at 55. Each of the elements 54 and 55 is a two-armed circuit-maker, the arms of which are adapted to dip into corresponding mercury electrodes, such as 60 and 61.

When the button 52 is pressed the armature 51 of the drop device of the floor-signal-controller 54 which governs the u movement of the elevator is attracted, and

and springs in such northereto after the detent 65 releases the drop-shutter 66, the weight of the shutter and its connections with the circuit-controller 54 causing all these connected parts to drop, and the circuit to be made at the mercury electrodes 60. It will be noticed that each of the circuitmaking elements of the floor-signal-controllers is electrically separated from all mechanical controlling parts by insulation, such as 67.

The making of the circuit at the up electrodes 60 causes the corresponding circuit to be closed to the up si al of the floor represented by the up cor-signalcontroller, in this case the switch 54. The u and down signals are preferably a white light such as and a red light such as 71, the circuit to the red light being closed in a manner analogous to that just described whenever the button 53 is pressed to release the drop device controlling the break at the electrodes 61.

\Vhenever an elevator responds to a signal the circuitof such signal should be automatically broken as soon as the car reaches the proper point in its further movement in the elevator shaft. The principal use of the main controlling member 30, which has a movement corresponding to that of its elevator, is to reset the fioor-signal-controller after an elevator has stopped in response to the signal and has passed beyond the same. If, for example, the car controlling the arm 30 receives the signal to stop either on its up or down trip, the corresponding up or down element 35 or 36 carried by said arm 30 will engage the tappet 40 or 41, as the case may be, and will oscillate the spindie 42 or 43 according as the elevator is moving up or down. The rocking of the tappet 40 and its shaft 42 causes the inner end of the arm 49 to engage the drop-shutter 66 and force the same mechanically back to its original position, into engagement with a stop, such as the stop-pin 66, in which position it is latched by the detent 65, this operation serving to break the circuit between circuit-controller 54 and the electrodes 60. In a similar manner the dropshutter controlling the circuit at the electrodes 61 is reset and the circuit broken if the same car is descending. In this case the controlling element 36 governing the downward mo ement will rock the tappet 41 and its spindle 43 and reset the shutter of the other drop device. When the arm 30 rotates in the direction of the arrow, as seen in Fig. 3. it controls the resetting of the up floorsignal-controller, and when it rotates in the reverse direction it 0 rates to reset the down signal contro ler. .When moving in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 the controllin element 35 is a fixed element and moveswit the arm 30, but the element 36 at this time constitutes a by-pas's device and passes by the tappet 41 without operating it. \Vhen the arm 30 is moving in the reverse direction, however, the controlling element 36 is a fixed member moving in unison with the arm 30 and oscillates the tappet 41, while the element 35 swings relatively to the arm 30 and passes by the tappet 40 without operating the same.

The number of floor-signal controllers used in any given embodiment of my system will of course depend upon the number of floors at which the elevator is to make stops. In these drawings three sets of floor-signalcontrollers and resetting devices therefor are shown, as the elevators shown in Figs. 1 and 2 make stops at three floors. These sets of devices, when so organized as to cooperate with rotary controlling members, are arranged in a circuit and spaced at intervals corresponding to the distances between the fioors of the building, and are also placed successively in such circuit and properly adjusted with respect to the initial position of each rotar controlling member. The number of controlling members, such as 30, which will be used, Wlll be governed entirely by the number of elevators in the building; and hence the number of pairs of oscillatory resettin spindles arms 30 tappets on the will correspond to the number 0 and the number of elevators used.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated a modification of my invention for the purpose of adapting the same -for use in elevator systems in which it is desired to run one or more of the cars as an express elevator. The devices hereinbefore described are not adapted for use on express elevators for the reason that the by-pass resetting devices carried at the ends of the rotary controlling members move constantly in the paths of the tappets carried by the vertical shafts which control the resetting of the circuitbreakers 5i, etc., to their normal positions. In order that such a system may operate properly when used in connection with an express elevator it is necessary to provide some means for throwing one of the cooperative elements by which the resetting operation is controlled, out, of operative relation with its coacting member when the elevator is running on an express schedule, the parts being preferably so or anized as to permit any elevator to be run either as an express or as a local, in which case the re -settin element or elements corresponding to sue elevator should be so constructed as to be movable into and out of operative relation with a coacting part, so that the floorsignal-controllers will be reset if the elevator is running as a local but will not be affected if it is running as an express.

The construction which I prefer to employ is similar in most respects to that before described, the main controlling memtrolling elements 35 and 36',

her being designated by 30 and being mounted at one end of the bracket'21" so as to make one substantially complete turn, in the plane of said bracket, from one edge of the bracket to the other, and another substantially complete turn in the other direction back to its original position when the movement of the elevator is reversed. At the .free end thereof the controlling member 30' has a shiftable element or plate 80 preferably movable lengthwise of the arm 30- and on this shiftable element controlling elements 35 and 36' may be pivoted substantially in the same manner as the corresponding elements 35 and 36. These conhowever, being mounted on the shiftable element 80 instead of on the arm 30 will be movable lengthwise of such arm, and hence theirradius of movement may be increased or diminished according as it is desired to cause them to travel operatively or inoperatively. These arms 35' and 36 are preferably bypass elements which will operate coacting tappets (such as 40 and 41) when moving in one direction or ,the other but will pass by such tappets on their return movements. These controlling elements may be held in place by suitable springs, such as 38. The shiftable element 80 is pivoted at 81 and may be shifted against a suitable stop by means of a spring 82. This stop may be the inner end wall of a slot 80 in which the pivot-pin 180 of the by-pass devices 35' and 36 works, this pin passing through an opening 80" in the plate 80. 'In the'present construction this spring serves to draw the shiftable element inward and with it the controlling elements 35 and 36, but the normal position of said shiftable element 80 is that shown in full lines in Figs. 7 and 8, in which position the parts 35 and 36 are in position to cooperate properly with the tappets and reset the circuitbreakers.

For the purpose of retaining said shiftable element 80 and the controlling elements 35 and 36' in said normal positions and preventing the spring 82 from shifting them to an inoperative position, I prefer to employ :a mechanical detent which may be operated mechanically each time that the arm 30 arrives at one end of its path of movement; and for the purpose of releasin said detent .I prefer to employ an electrica controlling device which may be operated whenever it is desired to run the elevator controlling the arm 30 as an express. In this construction I have illustrated at 83 and 83 a pair of separated insulated contacts connected to Wires 84 and 85, which, with a source of energy or battery 6 and a switch 86 constitute one side of an electrical circuit. This circuit is completed at one end of the path of movement of the arm 30, preferably by means of a pair of spring contact-arms 87 and, 88 con; nected respectively to the'tenm'nals of an electmmagnet 89. When these contact-arms engage the contacts 83 and 83', as shown, a circuit-will not usually be completed, because the swltch 86 Wtllnonnally be open. If, however, thisswit'ch'rs closed, as shown in Fig. 8, .the cireuit Wlll be completed, the magnet 89-\will be energized and its armature will be attracted. This armature carries a detent 90 which normally is down and awayfrom the poles of the magnet and in this o'sition latches the shiftable elememt 80 in tliep'osition shown in full lines, but if the circuit is complete the detent 90 will 'be attracted and the spring 82 will draw the element 80 to the positionshown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, when the-elevator ma be'run as an express WltllQllt affecting the libor-signal-controllers. Whenever the circuit is broken at the switch 86 the shiftableel'ement 80 will be reset to jLtSOPGIatlW-B position, this being preferably accomplished by providing said member with a cam-face 180 which at one end of the path of movement of the arm 30 comes into contact with a suitable operating device such :as the antifriction roll 91 carried by the bracket 21", and is returned to its normal operative position. It will be noticed that the roll 91 operates the shiftable element 80 in this manner at one end of each movement of the arm 30' regardless of the position of the switch 86, energized the detent 90 will of course be out of the path of the element 80 and the spring 82will be effective to shift said element to the dotted line position.

VVha-t I claim is:

1. In a signaling apparatus for elevators in combination, a shaft and car, an electrically-operated visual signal for the op-. erator, a switch in the circuit to said signal, a detent for holding said switch in open position, a magnet and switch for releasing sa d detent, and restoring mechanism comprising a movable restoring device moved correspondingly with but much slower than sald car and an intermediate normally stationary but slightly movable portion adapted to be engaged and moved by said restoring dev ce, when moving in one direction, to mechanically move said switch to open position where it will be engaged by said detent, and in the other direction, when said roster- 1n g device moves in the opposite direction, without moving said switch.

2. In a signaling apparatus for elevators In combination, a shaft and car, an electrlcally-operated visual signal at each floor, a sw1tch corresponding to each floor in the circuit of the corresponding signal, a detent corresponding to each floor for holding its respective switch in open position, a magnet and switch correspondin to each floor for releasing the corresponding detent, and robut if the electromagnet 89 isstoring mechanism comprising a movable restorlng device moved correspondingly with but much slower than said car and an intermediate normally stationary but slightly movable portion corresponding to each floor adapted to be engaged and moved by said restoring device, when moving in one direction, to mechanically move its switch to open position where it will be engaged by its detent, and in the other direction, when said restoring device moves in the'opposite direction, without moving said switch.

3. In a signaling apparatus for elevators in combination, a shaft and car, a signal, a movable signal-controlling part and a detent for holding said part in position to render the signal undisplayed, a magnet and switch for releasing said detent and thereby releasing said signal-controlling part and causing the signal to be displayed, and restoring mechanism comprising a movable restorm device moved correspondingly with but muc slower than said car and an intermediate normally stationary but slightly movable portion adapted to be engaged and moved by said restoring device, when moving in one direction, to mechanically move said signal-controlling part to its detent-engaged position, said signal being canceled by such movement.

4. In an elevator signal system, the combination with a floor-signal-controller, of means for operating said floor-signal-controller, a movable controlling member located in a given position with respect to the elevator shaft and controlled in its movements by the travel of the elevator, a resetting intermediary in the path of and governed by said controlling member and operative for resetting said floor-signal-controller, and means between said'controlling member and the resetting intermediary for preventing the operation of the latter on the return movement of the former.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 16th day of July A. D. 1903.

JOHN D. BOWNE. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, E. FAITH. 

